It Was Her
by The10thWeasley
Summary: Rory knocks on Jess' door in New York a few years after the campaign trail. She thinks she knows what she wants, she just needs a certain someone's help. Inspired by news of the Revival. Literati. All rights to Amy Sherman-Palladino. Read! Review! Enjoy! !
1. Chapter 1

Rory hit the cold, brass knocker on the door to the wood-colored apartment door. She always thought knockers were so much fancier than doorbells. Knockers reminded her of Chilton. Chilton reminded her of high school. High school reminded her of Jess. Which was the exact reason she was here: she was reminded of Jess. Her messenger bag flung over her shoulder, her shoulder-length, curled hair pulled back into a clip. She looked under the door; the lights were on and she heard heavy footsteps walking towards it. She quickly straightened up and waited for it to open.

Jess opened the door and was momentarily speechless which he rarely was. What was Rory Gilmore doing at his apartment in New York City? He finally found words again and said, "Well, well, well, look at you." He grabbed her hands and held them out to the side as an aunt you hadn't seen in years would. He dropped her hands back at her side. "Hello. How are you?" He said. "Hi, Jess. I'm well, how are you?" Rory said breathlessly even though she had been standing outside his door for 3 minuets debating whether or not she ought to knock. "Well, actually." He responded.

Jess was wearing grey suit pants and a tight white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his tie hung loosely around his neck. His suit jacket had been thrown aimlessly and had landed haphazardly on the couch. His hair was the same as it was the last time she had seen him, the day she saw him at the publishing house. He still had his beard and she had to admit, he looked as sexy as hell. He had his hands in his pockets and was smirking at her, not believing what he was seeing.

Rory had been thinking of what she wanted to do next for a while. The Obama campaign trail was one of the best experiences of her life and he had won! After it was all over, she moved back to Stars Hallow and started working full time at the Hartford office of the online magazine from the campaign trail. She was close to her family, she was in Stars Hallow, and she was doing what she loved. After about a year and a half, she wanted more challenges, more excitement. After months upon months of thinking, Rory asked her boss if she could be transferred somewhere else. She was told that one of their New York City offices needed somebody and she would be perfect for it. Rory packed all of her things up and began working in New York at the end of February. In middle of March, she found herself thinking about Jess. After a quick call to Luke, she learned that he was now in New York as well. He never knew how to stay put too long, did he? Now she found herself outside his apartment door, her cheeks and nose a bit rosy from the walk from the subway to the building.

Jess had just come back from a meeting with his publishing team. After discussing his latest novel to hit shelves in June, he got a cab home and started thinking of where to order takeout from today. His novels hadn't made him rich, but he could afford a nice apartment in New York City and still lived comfortably. He didn't have a girlfriend not because he couldn't get one, but because he didn't want one. Well, he did want one but only ONE person, and he thought that was never going to happen again.

But here he was, standing in front of a girl, THE girl that took his heart and never gave it back.

"Please, come in." Jess said, realizing that no words had been spoken in a solid 10 seconds. "Thank you." Rory said, flashing him a quick smile. Jess closed the door behind her and said, "You know that the last thing I want to be is rude, but, what are you doing here?" "Here in your living room or here in New York?" Rory responded cleverly. "Well, both!" Jess said in return. "I got transferred here about a month ago and I started thinking about you and called Luke to see how you were and he told me you were in New York too so I came to see you!" Rory said quickly. Jess looked at her, his hands still in his pockets, his smirk still on his face. "You were thinking about me? Pleasant thoughts, I hope."

"Always." Rory smiled her trademark smile. "Well, are you hungry? I was trying to decide what to order when you knocked." Jess said. "I'm always hungry." Rory responded. She walked over to his counter, leaned over and started reading through takeout menus. He watched in amusement. She hadn't changed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are these the very best Chinese, Indian, Thai, pizza, and burger places around here? You know how us Gilmore girls operate." Rory said with a smirk. "Of course!" Jess said in mock offense, "I've put them all through the grueling Gilmore elimination process. Don't you worry."

"Well, how about burgers? AHH! They have fries!" She said, very surprised that a burger place had fries. "All burger restaurants have fries." Jess said, looking 'concerned.' "I know but I haven't had them in so long! Oh, this is exciting." She said, looking down at the menu again. "Burgers are fine. What do you want?" Jess said, coming around the counter and leaning next to her. "I want the bacon burger with no lettuce or tomato or onion and an order of fries, obviously." Rory responded. Jess looked at her in amazement. "Obviously." He said, smirking.

Jess ordered their food and sat down on the couch next to Rory. She was already flipping through the channels on the tv like she was at home. "Oh, America's Next Top Model is on!" For a half hour, they watched Tyra, making comments here and there about one girl's shoulders and another's poses, even laughing and making jokes. Just like old times. Rory somehow spiraled into thinking if Jess had been seeing anybody else. Wouldn't he have told her by now? She hoped so.

The doorbell rang through the apartment. 'There is a doorbell!' Rory thought. As Jess answered the door, she got out two Cokes for them to drink and set them on opposite sides of the counter, bringing a stool over to her side. 'Her side.' She hadn't been there an hour and she was already referring to something as 'hers.'

Jess got to the counter and unpacked their food. He sat down opposite Rory and watched her as she opened her food and got her fries out. He realized that this seemed a bit weird so he stopped and opened up his container. He took a few bites of his fries and ran right into the questions he was burning to ask. "So how did the Obama campaign go? How's Stars Hallow? Are Luke and Lorelai happy? Did you break up with douche-face?"

Rory was taken aback a bit but answered them straightaway, however, speaking slower than usual, as if planning every word carefully. "The Obama campaign went very well, given that he won. I'm actually working for that same website here in New York." So that explained why she was here. "Stars Hallow and Luke and Lorelai are all doing very well. Stars Hallow hasn't moved for quite awhile and Luke and Lorelai are as strong as ever."

"As for Logan, he proposed to me some time before graduation. I told him I had to think about it which I did and after giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that I could not marry him and denied the offer. He then said that it was marriage or we were done so you know how that ended. I lived in Stars Hallow for a year and a half and worked out of the website's Hartford office until I asked to be transferred. They told me they had an opening in New York and if I wanted it, it was mine. I moved about a month ago. All caught up?" She said, taking a fry but never breaking eye contact.

"Your turn." Jess said. "Why did you move from Philly to New York? Why are you wearing a suit? Have you written anything else? Have you been seeing anyone?" Rory said, eating another fry.

Jess smirked again and said, "I moved because the publishing house wouldn't have done anything for me or gone anywhere after a while. I had a meeting with my publishing team this afternoon so I put on a suit which also shows that I have a novel coming out in June. I have a copy if you'd like to read it. No, I haven't seen anyone else since we broke up. It sounds so stupid and childish since it was so long ago and we were teenagers but I don't want anyone else." He was letting his thoughts out and it would be good to just let him talk. "I never met anyone else; partly because I didn't want to and partly because this is no one else. You probably thing I'm crazy for holding onto this for so long and saying all of this."

"Come on, the food is getting cold." He said, hanging his head and looking down at his food. "So you have something new coming out!" Rory said, taking a bite of her burger. "I would love that advanced copy. As for the other thing, I think it's made you feel better now that you said it to someone, right? It's cathartic. Anyway, that's why I came but you know that already. I was thinking about you and I missed you. I missed being with you. It seems you have too."

Jess got up, pushed his stool back, and kissed Rory over the counter. She wasn't even surprised or scared or nervous. His familiar taste was comforting and reminded her of home. She wholeheartedly agreed and kissed him back, getting up herself and holding the right side of his face, never breaking contact.

Rory was the one to pull away, slowly, as if never wanting to let go. They both sat back in their stools. She took a fry and smiled at him. Jess said, "I knew back in Stars Hallow that I'd never be able to shake you. Six years later and you're still all I want but can't have and don't deserve."

"I'm sorry you think that." Rory said. "Right here, right now, all I want to do is be with you. I want to be those teenagers. I want to be together. I want to date you, Jess. Without the stress of anyone else or college or whether or not we deserve each other. I want to be with you, just you, only you, always you."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks so much for all of your reviews and for reading! Here's the final chapter, I hope you like it!

"Me? What about getting with Dean again and with Logan after that? What were they if it was always me?" Jess said, not angry or mean, speaking quietly and sounding quite hurt. "I dated them! I fell in love with them but not the kind of love that I feel with you. Nowhere near." Rory said, desperately trying to get Jess understand something she couldn't quite explain just yet. "But how can you be sure? I know I am but this isn't about me! You feel like this right now but what if in another 5 years you feel the same way about Dean? Or in 10 years with Logan? What happens to me or to us; if there is an us?!" Jess said, beginning to raise his voice. Rory took a deep breath and began, "It was easy to be with Logan and Dean and I liked it. But with you, it was completely and utterly supreme. I don't know how to explain what I feel with you but I want to feel it everyday and for the rest of my life! Nothing I felt with Dean or Logan came close to what I feel with you, so how can something come back if it was never there?" Rory ended with her voice small and quiet, looking between Jess' eyes, trying to transmit this incredibly important message.

"Really? After all this time?" Jess asked after taking all that Rory had said in. "I will always be in love with you, Jess Mariano." Rory said. This answered any and all of his questions. At this point, both Rory and Jess were standing. Jess walked over to her side of the counter and looked down at her. Only now he realized, had she shrunk?

Nonetheless, he looked at her and swept one piece of hair behind her ear. He bit his lip slightly which always drove her wild. He slowly leaned in and kissed her. A real kiss. It lasted just three seconds but she loved it all the same. He looked into her eyes and smirked.

"Well that's settled." He said, chuckling to himself. "Yeah" Rory replied chuckling too, "yeah it is." She looked up into his eyes and smiled, resting her head on his chest, hugging the man she had wanted for so long. Jess wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. His kissed the top of her murmuring, "I love you." into the kiss. Rory smiled and said to his chest, "I love you too.


End file.
